Wedding Reception Checklist
The wedding reception will probably be the part of your wedding where you and your guests spend most of the time. It is the occasion for you to enjoy your family and friends’ company and, most importantly, to celebrate your marriage with them. The reception also gives the two family parts the opportunity to get to know each other better and merge into one big family as a result of your wedding. In order for you to enjoy a well organized and relaxed wedding reception, consider the checklist below.
Don’t feel overwhelmed by all the ideas pointed out here. Just pick the ones that best suit your dream wedding.
- Set budget
- Start 9-12 months in advance
- Choose location / venue
- Decide if you want to hire a wedding planner
- Select MC
- Clarify deposit, guarantee, insurance and cancellation terms
- Decide whether: catering by a restaurant, catering service or do it youself
- Organize decoration (see our wedding decorations checklist)
- Organize flowers (see our wedding flowers checklist)
- Choose personalized wedding favors
- Check if you need any extra rentals (tables, chairs, linens…)
- Organize wedding cake (see our wedding cake checklist)
- Decide if you want a bar tending service (see our wedding catering checklist)
- Decide if you want a professional photographer / videographer (see our wedding photography checklist)
- Organize entertainment, program and toasts
- Organize music (grand entrance, dinner, dance), soundsystem, DJ
- Organize a dancefloor
- Decide if you want to provide child care
- Organize transportation for you and the guests
- Clarify deposit, guarantee, insurance and cancellation terms
- Make a written contract with all agreements
If you neither celebrate in a restaurant nor hire a catering service you should also:
- Organize dishes and cutlery
- Organize food, beverages and snacks
- Organize coffee and cake
- Ensure people have been selected and agreed to help with the clean up, so you don’t have to do the pick-up after such an intense day.
Tip#1: Ensure that someone does a test with the soundsystem, microphones, etc. that day before the event.
Tip #2: Consider the following for the program: welcome speaches, toasts by best man / maid of honor / parents, slide show, cake cutting, long-distance calls, etc. You may find our Activities Checklist useful as well.
If you liked this checklist, take a look at our most dateiled and complete wedding timeline checklist.
Or feel free to check our list of recommended wedding suppliers.
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